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History of Wallingford
in the Royal County of Berkshire
by David Nash Ford
WALLINGFORD
Saxon Planning Lives On
This was one of
the Burghs established by King Alfred the Great in the nineth century.
Some, like Wallingford, were new towns; some were
old Roman settlements; others were set up in
Iron-Age Hillforts. All were carefully planned
with precise street-grids and high
fortifications. Wallingford had a stockaded bank,
3300 yards long, that can still be clearly seen
in places. Like other burghs, it appears to have
had a church at one of its entrances: St.
Leonard's which still incorporates some Saxon
work in its walls. These places were centres of
trade and habitation, but large areas appear to
have been left vacant. This is explained by their
other major use as places of refuge for the rural
population during times of Danish attack. Like
many of the Burghs, Wallingford also had a royal
mint. It grew quickly and became the Saxon County
Town of Berkshire. Its importance can be gauged
from an interesting find from within the town
walls: an ivory seal belonging to Godwin the
Thegn. Bearded Godwin is featured below the
seated Trinity trampling the Devil. The reverse
has been reused by one Godgytha the Nun.
It is unlikely to have had anything to do with
the infamous Earl Godwin of Wessex, though it may
be mid-eleventh century in date.
The name is
unlikely to derive from the Celtic Gual-hen-fforda
or "Wall(ed Town) by the Old Way".
There is no evidence to suggest that the massive
banks of King Alfred's Burgh had any
origin in Roman or pre-Roman times. The name is
probably Saxon for "Welsh People's
Ford". Whichever you choose, the indications
are that the area was a British stronghold long
after the Saxons took over the country.
After William the
Conqueror had won the Battle of Hastings, one
of the first places he made for was the fortified
town of Wallingford, where the Saxon lord, Wigod,
supported his cause. While there, he received the
submission of the Archbishop of Canterbury and
attended the wedding of Wigod's daughter to one
of William's favourites, Robert D'Oyley of
Liseux. D'Oyley built Wallingford Castle, a motte
and bailey affair, between 1167 & 1171. He
spent much of his time acquiring land, mostly at
the expense of the church. The monks of Abingdon were eventually forced to
conspire against him and pray for his repentance.
He fell ill and was warned in a dream to mend his
ways. Afterwards, he began endowing many churches
and monasteries, including Wallingford Priory.
D'Oyley's daughter married Brien FitzCount, the
unwavering follower of the Empress Matilda in her struggle with her
cousin, Stephen, for the English throne.
He was one of only two landed lords to
immediately join her cause. In 1141, Matilda had
to make a daring escape from the besieged Oxford
Castle. She slipped out at night and abseiled
down the castle walls with only three loyal
knights. Dressed in white, they made their way
through the snow covered countryside, crossed the
frozen Thames on foot at Abingdon, then by horse
to Wallingford and safety. People who saw them in
the night thought they were ghosts! Later, when
Matilda's son, the Henry II-to-be, arrived in the
town, the two sides negotiated and signed the
peaceful Treaty of Wallingford (1153) by which it
was decided Henry would succeed to the throne
after King Stephen's death.
The castle later
expanded and gained high stone walls, and also
town walls atop the Saxon banks. Prince Richard,
Earl of Cornwall & Holy Roman Emperor held
the castle for much of the reign of his brother, Henry III. He spent a fortune on
lavish entertainment and building works, making
Wallingford his favourite home. Then, when he
almost drowned at sea, he swore to spent all his
money on the church. He is quoted as having said,
"Would that it had pleased God that I had
expended all that I have laid out in the Castle
of Wallingford in as wise and salutary a
manner". In 1335, the castle was granted to
the Black Prince, and it was his principal
residence, when he was in the country that is.
His wife, Joan the Fair Maid of Kent, died of a
broken heart at Wallingford, when her son, Richard II, condemned his
half-brother, John Holland, to death for the
accidental murder of a court favourite. In the
end the unfortunate Holland was given a reprieve,
but it was too late for poor Joan. Her will was
written at Wallingford and she may have been
buried in the Priory, though other sources say
her body was taken to Stamford (Lincs). The hated Piers
Gaveston, a rather too close a friend of Edward II, was made Lord Wallingford
in 1307 and given the castle for services
rendered. He is noted for holding a magnificent
tournament here which all the nobles of the land
were obliged to attend. Fair Katherine, Queen of Henry V, retired to Wallingford
after her husband's death. Her son, Henry VI, was educated here, and it
was at the castle that the Queen was seduced by
his squire, Owen Tudor. Owain's father was a
cousin of Owain Glyndwr (Prince of Wales) and his
paternal grandmother was 4xgreat grandaughter of
Gryffydd ap Lord Rhys, the last King of
Deheubarth (South Wales). Together they became
the grandparents of King Henry Tudor.
The castle ruins
stand today within a lovely walled park, created
by the Borough Council, off Castle Street. There
is little in stone to see except the remains of
the tower of St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church
which stood within the castle walls. Climb the
motte and you can see the footings of some more
walls with two small sections in the fields to
the north. The whole is very well laid out and
you get a fine view of the town.
The following
were born at Wallingford Castle:
- Prince
Richard of Cornwall, b.1246, son of
Prince Richard, Earl of Cornwall &
Holy Roman Emperor
The following
died at Wallingford Castle:
- Prince
William, Count of Poitiers, d.1156, aged
2, eldest son of King Henry II
- Prince
Richard of Cornwall, d.1246, aged 1
month, son of Prince Richard, Earl of
Cornwall & Holy Roman Emperor
- Princess Joan
of Kent, d.1385, wife of Prince
Edward "The Black Prince",
Prince of Wales, mother of King Richard
II & daughter of Prince Edmund of
Woodstock, Earl of Kent
During the Civil
War, the Castle was fortified for the King and
two heavy cannon were stationed in the town. It
was the last Royalist stronghold in the whole
country to fall. When finally captured, Cromwell
ordered it to be totally demolished.
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